Who we are: The Executive Team

Kate FrameCommissioner

Kate Frame was appointed by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice as the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner for Scotland in June 2014, and took up post on 16 August 2014.

She joined the organisation from the Crown Office, where she was the Head of the Criminal Allegations Against the Police Division.

After qualifying as a solicitor Kate joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. She is an experienced Prosecutor who has appeared in Summary and Solemn Courts throughout Scotland and has undertaken specialist roles within the High Court Unit and Fraud and Specialist Services Unit.

Kate also held a number of senior roles within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, including District and Area Procurator Fiscal, Head of the International Cooperation and Civil Recovery Units.

She was the winner of the Contribution to the Civil Service award at the inaugural Scottish Women’s Awards in 2017.

Alan BuchananDirector of Operations

Alan Buchanan was appointed as the Director of Operations on 1 April 2018.

He holds extensive experience as an investigator in both the public and private sectors.

As Investigation Manager with the Royal Bank of Scotland, he was responsible for the investigation of misconduct and financial crime, nationally and internationally.

Alan previously investigated numerous major crimes as a police officer within Strathclyde Police and Police Scotland.

In his role as Detective Superintendent, he investigated several complex murder investigations. He also led a team which had governance oversight of all murder investigations throughout Scotland and reviewed historical and unsolved murders.

Heads of Department Group

Supporting our Executive Team are our Head of Reviews and Policy, Head of Investigations and Head of HR and Corporate Services.

John McSporranHead of Investigations

John McSporran was appointed as Head of Investigations in March 2017. He joined the organisation as a senior investigator in December 2012, prior to our inception as the PIRC on 1 April 2013.

Before joining the PIRC, John was a Detective Superintendent in charge of the Major Investigations Teams at Strathclyde Police dealing with murders and other major enquiries and a Detective Superintendent in charge of Special Operations, investigating terrorist and organised crime.

He also spent a period of time seconded to the Department for International Development and was posted to West Africa as a Special Advisor to assist in the development of Sierra Leone following the civil war there.

Ilya ZharovHead of Reviews and Policy

Ilya Zharov was appointed as the Head of Reviews and Policy in September 2016. He is a qualified solicitor who has extensive experience in private legal practice in the Glasgow area.

His principal area of interest is in Criminal Law, having previously been employed both with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and in Criminal defence work.

Sharon SmitHead of HR and Corporate Services

Sharon Smit was appointed as the Head of HR and Corporate Services in June 2017. She gained her first degree in Hospitality Management after graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University, before going on to work in the sector both internationally and in the UK.

Sharon moved into HR while living in the Netherlands, graduating with an MSc in Human Resources Development from the University of Twente in 2006. She has worked in a variety of HR positions and joins the PIRC from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) where she was an HR Business Partner.

Staff composition of the PIRC

The Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (PIRC), in common with other police oversight bodies, employs a blend of staff drawn from police and non-police backgrounds.